When In Office Did Bush Decide To Go To War Against Iraq?

Never, it was a concensus by the administration before the election. Slate Chatterbox has the latest summary.

Woodward's book shows that, in fact, Bush didn't make the final decision, Cheney did..

Just as he was the first VP to fire a cabinet official, he was the first to declare war.

Cheney, impatient with waiting for Bush's decision, took matters into his own hands. He called Saudi Ambassador Prince Bandar into his office on Jan. 11, 2003, showed him the plans for the invasion, and asked whether he was in or out. Bandar said he wasn't going to commit until he knew the invasion was really going to happen. Rumsfeld, putting Bush's query about his "last decision point" out of his mind, told Bandar: "You can count on this. You can take that to the bank. This is going to happen." Then Bandar asked whether Saddam would be killed; he didn't want in if Saddam would still be around to kill those who'd betrayed him. Cheney answered, "Saddam is toast."

All that was left was for Bandar to be told the same by the president himself. When they met the next day, Woodward writes, Bush simply asked, "Any questions for me?" Bandar said no, and Bush replied, "The message you're taking is mine." But it was Bush's message only because Cheney and Rumsfeld had already told him it was necessary to say so. Then Bush called in his secretary of state, Colin Powell, whose advice he had not sought, and told him we were going to war. That must have been especially sweet for Cheney since by then, Woodward tells us, Powell and Cheney were barely speaking.

Chatterbox's latest is the hope that even neocons have that Cheney and Rumsfeld will resign or be dumped.